


And Red Lights I'll Run

by thegoodthebadandthenerdy



Series: Femslash Feb 2018 [4]
Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash February, Femslash February 2018, Pre-Relationship, Short & Sweet, also this is just a vague story in general its not supposed to be all together tbh, and, mostly musings??, or prose ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 11:36:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13569795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegoodthebadandthenerdy/pseuds/thegoodthebadandthenerdy
Summary: Two snapshots lit by a spectrum of lights and seperated by three years.Femslash Feb Day 4: "Light"





	And Red Lights I'll Run

**Author's Note:**

> me, chanting: ninej ninej ninej
> 
> title from making the most of the night by carly rae jepsen

i. 3 years ago

When Inej slung the door open, Nina was leaning in the doorframe, ragged red lips drawn in a half-smile greeting.

The moment she registered the tears in her friend's eyes, Inej pushed forward on her tiptoes, arms encircling Nina's neck and pulling her in for short, tight hug.

When they broke apart, Inej brushed a lock of Nina's hair from her face as she murmured soft words of solace. 

Nina wrapped her arms around Inej's waist, then, holding her close at every inch, hands trembling as they smoothed down the wave of unbraided hair she was sporting for once.

They stayed like that for one, two, three long beats before the hiccuping sob managed to escape Nina's tight hold on her lips. 

Inej ran her hand up and down Nina's back consolingly. Tears were burning in her own eyes, but she refused to let them fall, refused to take this moment of emotion and admittance from the girl in her arms who had been holding back for so long.

Nina heaved and heaved, her shoulders quaking and her heart hammering and her eyes - her eyes supplying tear after tear until she was sure she'd never cry again.

_Do you want to come in?_

Nina swiped the building tear tracks away, letting out a breathy sigh.

The front porch light cast fluid yellow against her skin, sparking off of tears and stale make up and heartachingly dull eyes. She nodded, letting Inej pull her inside and lead her through to the tiny kitchen.

Inej flipped the light, letting the tinny hum of the heating bulb encompass them as she wet paper towels and brought them to her like offerings at an altar.

She sifted through the kitchen's sparse offerings - cabinets and fridge and freezer alike - while Nina cleaned herself up. She came back to the counter with more in hand, the box of Nina's favorite cookies she kept and mugs of chilly milk, knowing it was exactly what was needed.

Nina took one look before her face crumbled and she released an odd snuffling sound from the back of her throat. Her fingers pressed into the skin around her mouth as she tried to croak out some form of assurance that she was all right.

Inej deposited her armful on the counter and rounded it nimbly. Her fingers twitched - aching to reach out to the other girl, but thinking better if it at the last second.

 _God, I'm sorry, Inej._ A harsh intake of air. _I'm sorry - you just, it's stupid, but you always- always-_ She broke off again, her eyes scrunched tightly. _You're so good to me._

Inej smiled, and if her heart's sadness was plain across her lips, Nina didn't say anything.

_You remember in second grade, when those kids were being royal asses to you?_

Nina nodded, a small laugh pressing against her cheeks. _You tripped the lead kid, introduced yourself, and promised to be my best friend forever._

_Haven't you figured out I'm a woman of my word yet, Nina Zenik?_

Before Inej could react, hands were on the sides of her face and lips were slotted sweetly over hers and her eyes had shuttered shut and she was lost in the taste of cinnamon chapstick and the smell of citrus-scented shampoo.

There was a beat of silence when their lips finally slid apart, and then:

_Shit - I'm so sorry, I shouldn't, I should've asked-_

Inej pressed forward, bumping clumsily against Nina's tense knees as she reached calloused hands for her face again.

This time, they were both ready and able to adjust accordingly. Inej pushed up onto her toes, holding Nina's hips for strength or for comfort or for both. Nina tilted her head to the side just so to allow their noses a slight berth as her hands found home once more against the cool skin of Inej's cheeks.

In the warm glow cast by a barely holding on kitchen light, Nina and Inej spilled all the things they'd been too scared to say, they did so with a kiss that lasted for years yet seconds, with fingertips that brushed skin worried yet fearless. 

When they parted, Nina smiled, light sparking in the freshly lit fire of her eyes. 

ii. present

Nina tugged Inej along, babbling excitedly about whatever came to mind - her early morning shift, her lunch with Jesper, the particularly funny phone call she and Kaz shared before she left for the airport.

Inej laughed and laughed, relishing in the feeling of her girlfriend's hand in hers, of her voice in her ears for real once again after weeks apart.

 _I think he might burst if you leave for this long again,_ Nina commented, _he knows how to live without you even less than I do._

Inej drew their hands together tighter until she was pressed against Nina's side, her head on her shoulder, lips scrubbing the bare skin of her arm. 

_He'll be fine, I'll go see him tomorrow, but for tonight - it's you and I._

She could feel Nina's grin in the kiss she pressed to the top of her head. 

_Then let's go pick up dinner and head home. We've got a season of the Bachelorette and three weeks of snuggling on the couch to catch up on._

By the time they hit downtown, the sun's dying rays had been laid to rest and the stars seemed to twinkle just for them.

The streets were lit by neon signs and the smiles of strangers faced with their own personal joy. Shadows in shades of green and purple loomed across the cracked sidewalk beneath their feet, and they let it wash over them.

When she wasn't looking, Nina found her eyes drifting to Inej.

The red of the night's lights cut across her right cheek, a highlight to her eyes - observed by most as cold, but anything but in Nina'a company; maybe even downright _soft_. Electric blue, deep and unforgiving, folded it itself against her left, melting in the middle over the soft curve of her nose and the sharp line of her lips. Together, they sprayed purple across the freckles she'd tried to hide as a teen, the thick shoots of her eyebrows she used to talk more than her lips, the small scars she carried with passion and with pride.

She was stunning; absolutely and unrepentantly, and Nina doesn't know how she got so lucky.

Inej inhaled deeply, happily, snapped up for a blissful moment in cinnamon and citrus.

 _I missed you,_ they both said at the same time.

Inej's eyes darted up to meet Nina's, and in a split second they were grinning and laughing as they carried on down the street, so happy to be back in one another's company that they didn't care who saw their carefree moment.

**Author's Note:**

> they unironically watch the bachelor and the bachelorette and have v strong opinions on it all and those are just facts
> 
> find me on tumblr @desertrosetico !


End file.
